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Sunday, 19 October 2014

ANOTHER SPARROWHAWK AND NEW BARN OWL

I haven't done much birding. A stinky head cold has just left me exhausted and wheezing like a miner everytime I got near my bike. I went into work as I could hear the cynism in my bosses voice, I managed to spread my cold to four co-workers it seemed stupid to go in but the boss knows best. I had to on one of my days off accompany my boss to a jobs fair. Waste of time, we turned up just before 9am to set up our stall and outside was a group of eager looking hopefuls, all forced to attend by the job centre (where it was being held too) but as we got closer we started to spot the "special brew" cans and I could smell Jamaica's famous form of tobacco all before 9am!!. In the two hours we had, a total of ten people came over of which a total of 7 smelt of booze or weed. Ukip don't have to worry about migrants taking British jobs, the Brits do a fine job of not getting jobs by themselves we were looking for minimum of 70 staff to add to a site in one of our depots "up north".Waste of time.

Still with a head cold went up to a local reservoir to find a Grey Phalarope, missed it, I really wasn't feeling good so after speaking to a couple of birders headed home...it's still there so might go again.

I managed to clear the fall of sycamores leaves in my garden and spent some time in the shed/hide. I got this close up Robin

I somehow fell asleep in the hide and it was dark when I woke up, ooop's.

Well at least today I am feeling better and went up to the Little Owl barn.

The Little Owl remains but is hanging around the "bridge of death" so it sees me coming from an actual mile away. I headed to the barn assuming no owls and flushed a solitary Barn Owl. My first new barnie in 16 months. I waited around all day at the "bridge of death" some 800 metres away and only when it got to 18:30 did it come out to hunt, too dark. Still it has turned up like the farmer said it would but a few months earlier then normal.

Whilst waiting I enjoyed 8 Skylarks laying claim to the field (a winter crop in the field helps) but also got these 3 images of a female Sparrowhawk I seem to be a bit lucky with these of late.

Great shot of the Robin from the 'potting shed' Douglas, I guess the snoring eventually scared it off though?It can't be all that bad being a Sprawk magnet. if it keeps providing you with opportunities for more super images like these?I'm sure it won't be long before those Owls 'come good'?.....[;o)

It's rumored that my snoring is to blame for the strong wind we're due tomorrow :-) I like being a sprawk magnet just wish I could transfer it to other species at times. The owl will hopefully come out to play, being my first in such a long time I'm just being over cautious